Single-cell sequencing and multiple machine learning algorithms to identify key T-cell differentiation gene for progression of NAFLD cirrhosis to hepatocellular carcinoma.

Introduction: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), which is closely associated with chronicinflammation, is the most common liver cancer and primarily involves dysregulated immune responses in the precancerous microenvironment. Currently, most studies have been limited to HCC incidence. However, the immunopathogenic mechanisms underlying precancerous lesions remain unknown. Methods: We obtained single-cell sequencing data (GSE136103) from two nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) cirrhosis samples and five healthy samples. Using pseudo-time analysis, we systematically identified five different T-cell differentiation states. Ten machine-learning algorithms were used in 81 combinations to integrate the frameworks and establish the best T-cell differentiation-related prognostic signature in a multi-cohort bulk transcriptome analysis. Results: LDHA was considered a core gene, and the results were validated using multiple external datasets. In addition, we validated LDHA expression using immunohistochemistry and flow cytometry. Conclusion: LDHA is a crucial marker gene in T cells for the progression of NAFLD cirrhosis to HCC.

1T-rich MoS2 nanosheets anchored on conductive porous carbon as effective polysulfide promoters for lithium-sulfur batteries.

The practical applications of lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries have severely been hindered by notorious shuttle effect and sluggish redox kinetics of lithium polysulfide intermediates (LiPSs), which bring about rapid capacity degradation, low coulombic efficiency and poor cycling stability. In this work, 1T-rich MoS2 nanosheets are in-situ developed onto the conductive porous carbon matrix (1T-rich MoS2@PC) as efficient polysulfide promotors for high-performance Li-S batteries. The porous carbon skeleton tightly anchors MoS2 nanosheets to prevent their reaggregation and ensures accessible electrical channels, and at the same time provides a favorable confined space that promotes the generation of 1T-rich MoS2 structure. More importantly, the uniformly distributed metallic 1T-rich MoS2 nanosheets not only affords rich sulfphilic sites and high binding energy for immobilizing LiPSs, but also favors rapid electron transfer and LiPSs conversation kinetics, substantially regulating sulfur chemistry in working cells. Consequently, the Li-S cell assembled with 1T-rich MoS2@PC modified separator delivers a remarkable cycling stability with ultralow capacity decay rate of 0.067% over 500 cycles at 1C. Encouragingly, under harsh conditions (high sulfur loading of 4.78 mg cm-2 and low E/S ratio of 8 µL mg-1), a favorable electrochemical performance can still be demonstrated. This study highlights the profitable design of 1T-rich MoS2/carbon based electrocatalyst for suppressing shuttle effect and promoting catalytic conversation of LiPSs, and has the potential to be applied to in other energy storage systems.

Synthesis of 1-Benzyl-2,4-diarylimidazole through I2/CuI-Catalyzed Cyclization of Benzylamine and Hydrazone.

In this paper, we report an innovative method for synthesizing 1-benzyl-2,4-diarylimidazole utilizing 1-phenylethanone-2-(2-pyridinyl) hydrazine and benzylamine, catalyzed by an I2/CuI system. This approach represents a significant departure from traditional methods for synthesizing polysubstituted imidazoles; it employs the I2/CuI catalyst to replace rare metal catalysts, thereby achieving high yields of substitution products (≤85%). This method for the generation of 1,2,4-triimidazole derivatives is characterized by its exceptional chemical selectivity and extensive substrate compatibility.

Fabrication of Soft-Hard Heterostructure Porous Carbon with Enhanced Performance for High Mass-Loading Aqueous Supercapacitors.

With the increasing attention to energy and environmental issues, the high value-added utilization of biomass and pitch to functional carbon materials has become an important topic in science and technology. In this work, the soft-hard heterostructure porous carbon (NRP-HPC) is prepared by bio-template method, in which biomass and pitch are used as hard carbon and soft carbon precursors, respectively. The prepared NRP-HPC-4 shows high specific surface area (2293 m2 g-1), suitable pore size distribution, good conductivity (0.25 Ω cm-1), and strong wettability. The synergistic effect of soft carbon and hard carbon ensures the composite material exhibiting excellent electrochemical performance for high mass loading (12.0 mg cm-2) aqueous supercapacitor, i.e., high specific capacitance (304.69 F g-1 at 0.1 A g-1), high area capacitance (3.67 F cm-2 at 0.1 A g-1), high volumetric specific capacitance (202.74 F cm-3 at 0.1 A g-1), low open-circuit voltage attenuation rate (21.04 mV h-1), good voltage retention (79.12%), and excellent cyclic stability (92.04% capacitance retention and 100% coulombic efficiency after 20 000 cycles). The composite technology of soft carbon and hard carbon not only ensures the prepared porous carbon electrode materials with enhanced electrochemical performance, but also realizes the high value-added coupling utilization of biomass and pitch.

P53-induced GAP-43 Upregulation in Primary Cortical Neurons of Rats.

OBJECTIVES: In this study, we employed an in vitro culturing technique to investigate the impact of p53 on the modulation of growth-associated protein-43 (GAP-43) within the primary cortical neurons of rat specimens. METHODS: (1) Within the first 24 hours after birth, the bilateral cortex was extracted from newborn Wistar rats and primary cortical neurons were cultured and identified. (2) The changes in the mRNA and protein expressions of GAP-43 induced by p53 in rat primary cortical neurons cultured in vitro were identified utilizing real-time polymerase chain reaction and western blot techniques. RESULTS: (1) Lentiviral transfection of p53 within primary cortical neurons of rats elicited elevated levels of both mRNA and protein expressions of GAP-43, consequently culminating in a noteworthy augmentation of p53 expression. (2) The introduction of a p53 inhibitor in rat primary cortical neurons resulted in a reduction in both mRNA and protein expressions of GAP-43. CONCLUSION: Within primary rat cortical neurons, p53 has the potential to prompt an augmentation in both the transcriptional and protein expression levels of the GAP-43 protein.

Nitrogen-Doped Cellulose-Derived Porous Carbon Fibers for High Mass-Loading Aqueous Supercapacitors.

Biomass-based porous carbon with renewability and flexible structure tunability is a promising electrode material for supercapacitors. However, there is a huge gap between experimental research and practical applications. How to maintain good electrochemical performance of high mass-loading electrodes and suppress the self-discharge of supercapacitors is a key issue that urgently needs to be addressed. The structure regulation of electrode materials such as heteroatom doping is a promising optimization strategy for high mass-loading electrodes. In this work, nitrogen-doped cellulose-derived porous carbon fibers (N-CHPCs) were prepared by a facile bio-template method using cotton cellulose as raw material and urea as dopant. The prepared N-CHPCs have high specific surface area, excellent hierarchical porous structure, partial graphitization properties and suitable heteroatom content. The assembled high mass-loading (12.8 mg cm-2; 245 µm) aqueous supercapacitor has excellent electrochemical performance, i. e., low open-circuit voltage attenuation rate (21.39 mV h-1), high voltage retention rate (78.81 %), high specific capacitance (295.8 F g-1 at 0.1 A g-1), excellent area capacitance (3.79 F cm-2 at 0.1 A g-1), excellent cycling stability (97.28 % over 20,000 cycles at 1.0 A g-1). The excellent performance of high mass-loading N-CHPCs is of great significance for their practical applications in advanced aqueous supercapacitors.

Carbon quantum dots assisted BiFeO3@BiOBr S-scheme heterojunction enhanced peroxymonosulfate activation for the photocatalytic degradation of imidacloprid under visible light: Performance, mechanism and biotoxicity.

A novel S-scheme heterojunction photocatalyst carbon quantum dots (CQDs)/BiFeO3/BiOBr (CBB) was synthesized via a facile hydrothermal method, which was highly effective in activating peroxymonosulfate (PMS) to photodegrade imidacloprid (IMD) (one of the typical neonicotinoid insecticides (NEOs)) under visible light irradiation. Based on the physicochemical and photoelectrochemical analysis, the super photocatalytic performance of the CBB photocatalyst was contributed to the enhanced separation and transfer of photogenerated electrons (e-) and holes (h+), the activation of PMS by reactive species, and the wider light absorption range induced by CQDs. Moreover, the intermediate products and possible photodegradation pathways of IMD were confirmed through high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS) detection and density functional theory (DFT) calculations. Although the photodegradation of IMD in the CBB/PMS/Vis system can be affected by the water quality parameters (i.e., acid group anions, pH, and the presence of humic acid (HA)), the synthesized CBB photocatalyst showed excellent photocatalytic performance in multiple natural water samples. This study provides a new idea to construct an effective and efficient heterojunction photocatalyst, which may have great advantages in photocatalytic degradation of NEOs and possibly other emerging contaminants in the aquatic environment.

Modified red light 5-aminolevulinic acid photodynamic therapy versus low-dose isotretinoin therapy for moderate to severe acne vulgaris: A prospective, randomized, multicenter study.

BACKGROUND: Modified 5-aminolevulinic acid photodynamic therapy (M-PDT) and isotretinoin (ISO) are effective treatments for moderate to severe acne vulgaris. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy and adverse effects of M-PDT and ISO for moderate to severe acne vulgaris. METHODS: A multicenter, randomized clinical trial was conducted with participants randomly assigned to the M-PDT group (up to 5 weekly sessions following manual comedone extraction) or the ISO group (oral ISO, 0.5 mg/kg/d for 6 months) and followed up to 6-months after therapy. RESULTS: A total of 152 patients were allocated. The overall effective rates in the M-PDT group were significantly higher than the ISO group at 1 month (67.74% vs 10.26%), whereas the opposite was the case 1 month after treatment (75.81% vs 97.44%). Time to achieve 50% lesion improvement in the M-PDT group was significantly less than the ISO group (1 vs 8 weeks). Overall, 70.67% of the ISO group patients experienced systemic side effects such as hepatotoxicity, whereas side effects were skin-limited in the M-PDT group. LIMITATIONS: Limitations of this study included relatively low numbers of participants and high withdrawal rate. CONCLUSION: M-PDT offers a more rapid onset of improvement, comparable overall efficacy, good tolerability, and comparable durability of response compared with ISO.

Cryptotanshinone ameliorates hemorrhagic shock-induced liver injury via activating the Nrf2 signaling pathway.

INTRODUCTION: Hemorrhagic shock (HS) is an important cause of high mortality in traumatized patients. Cryptotanshinone (CTS) is a bioactive compound extracted from Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge (Danshen). The current study aimed to explore the effect and underlying mechanism of CTS on the liver injury induced by HS. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Male Sprague-Dawley rats were used to establish the HS model by hemorrhaging and monitoring mean arterial pressure (MAP). CTS was intravenously administered at concentration of 3.5 mg/kg, 7 mg/kg, or 14 mg/kg 30 minutes before resuscitation. Twenty-four hours after resuscitation, the liver tissue and serum samples were collected for the following examinations. Hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining was used to evaluate hepatic morphology changes. The myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity in liver tissue and the serum activities of aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) were examined to reveal the extent of liver injury. The protein expression of Bax and Bcl-2 in liver tissue was detected by western blot. The TUNEL assay determined the apoptosis of hepatocytes. Oxidative stress of liver tissue was assessed by the examination of reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation. The content of malondialdehyde (MDA), glutathione (GSH), and adenosine triphosphate (ATP), the activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and oxidative chain complexes (complex I, II, III, IV), as well as cytochrome c expression in cytoplasm and mitochondria, were also used to determine the extent of oxidative injury in the liver. Immunofluorescence (IF) was employed to estimate nuclear factor E2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) expression. The mRNA and protein levels of heme oxygenase 1 (HO-1), NAD(P)H: quinone oxidoreductases 1 (NQO1), cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), and nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) were assessed by real-time qPCR, western blot to investigate the mechanism of CTS regulating HS-induced liver injury. RESULTS: H&E staining and a histological score of rat liver suggested that HS induced liver injury. The activity of ALT, AST, and MPO was significantly increased by HS treatment. After CTS administration the ALT, AST, and MPO activities were suppressed, which indicates the liver injury was alleviated by CTS. The HS-induced upregulation of the TUNEL-positive cell rate was suppressed by various doses of CTS. HS-induced ROS production was decreased and the protein expression of Bax and Bcl-2 in the HS-induced rat liver was reversed by CTS administration. In the liver of HS-induced rats, the upregulation of MDA content and the downregulation of GSH content and SOD activitywere suppressed by CTS. Additionally, CTS increases ATP content and mitochondrial oxidative complexes activities and suppressed the release of cytochrome c from mitochondria to the cytoplasm. Moreover, IF and western blot demonstrated that the activation of Nrf2 blocked by HS was recovered by different doses of CTS in liver tissue. The expression of downstream enzymes of the Nrf2 pathway, including HO-1, NQO1, COX-2, and iNOS, was reversed by CTS in the HS rat model. CONCLUSIONS: The current study for the first time revealed the protective effect of CTS in HS-induced liver injury. CTS effectively recovered hepatocyte apoptosis, oxidative stress, and mitochondria damage induced by HS in the rat liver partly via regulating the Nrf2 signaling pathway.

Mapping the incidence of drug-induced liver injury: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVES: Drug-induced liver injury (DILI) is an increasing etiology of liver dysfunction, with various incidence worldwide. To better understand the disease burden and establish appropriate preventive and treatment strategies, a systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted. METHODS: PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library were searched for studies on the incidence of DILI published up to June 1, 2022. According to the predefined criteria, only population-based studies were included. Incidence was presented as cases per 100 000 person-years with 95% confidence interval (CI) using a random-effects model. RESULTS: A total of 14 studies were included. The overall incidence of DILI was 4.94 per 100 000 person-years (95% CI 4.05-5.83). Time-based cumulative meta-analysis suggested that the incidence of DILI increased over time since 2010. The incidence varied by regions, with Asia having the highest incidence of 17.82 per 100 000 person-years (95% CI 6.26-29.38), while North America having the lowest incidence of 1.72 per 100 000 person-years (95% CI 0.48-2.95). All studies reported a higher incidence of DILI in the elderly but comparable incidences between male and female (3.42 per 100 000 person-years vs 4.64 per 100 000 person-years). CONCLUSIONS: The global incidence of DILI has been increasing since 2010, with the highest incidence in Asia. Understanding the epidemiological characteristics of DILI helps establish specific strategies to deal with this emerging health problems.

Concomitant gallstone disease was not associated with long-term outcomes in ursodeoxycholic acid-treated patients with primary biliary cholangitis.

OBJECTIVES: Primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) is a rare disease characterized by intrahepatic cholestasis, whereas gallstone disease (GD) is common. In this study, we aimed to investigate the prevalence and impact of GD on the prognosis of PBC in China. METHODS: Medical records of the PBC patients were retrospectively reviewed and their follow-up data were obtained via regular structured, standardized telephone interviews. GD was defined as gallstones on ultrasonography or a history of cholecystectomy for gallstones. Propensity score matching (PSM) and Cox regression analysis were performed. The primary end-point was liver-related death and/or liver transplantation. RESULTS: A total of 985 ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA)-treated PBC patients were enrolled with a median follow-up duration of 5.3 years (range 1.0-20.9 years). Among them, 258 (26.2%) had GD, including 157 (22.9%) of non-cirrhotic and 101 (33.8%) of cirrhotic patients. Compared with PBC without GD, those with GD were older, more often had type 2 diabetes mellitus, and had a more severe liver disease at baseline. After PSM (1:2), 229 PBC patients with GD were matched with 458 PBC patients without GD based on age, sex, cirrhosis, and total bilirubin level. The transplant-free survival and incidence of hepatic events were similar between the two groups. Furthermore, multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that concomitant GD was not independently associated with a worse prognosis for PBC patients. CONCLUSION: Concomitant GD was common but was not associated with long-term outcomes in patients with UDCA-treated PBC.

Antigenic Characterization of Infectious Bronchitis Virus in the South China during 2021-2022.

Avian infectious bronchitis is a serious and highly contagious disease that is caused by the infectious bronchitis virus (IBV). From January 2021 to June 2022, 1008 chicken tissue samples were collected from various regions of southern China, and 15 strains of the IBV were isolated. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that the strains mainly comprised the QX type, belonging to the same genotype as the currently prevalent LX4 type, and identified four recombination events in the S1 gene, among which lineages GI-13 and GI-19 were most frequently involved in recombination. Further study of seven selected isolates revealed that they caused respiratory symptoms, including coughing, sneezing, nasal discharge, and tracheal sounds, accompanied by depression. Inoculation of chicken embryos with the seven isolates resulted in symptoms such as curling, weakness, and bleeding. Immunization of specific pathogen-free (SPF) chickens with inactivated isolates produced high antibody levels that neutralized the corresponding strains; however, antibodies produced by vaccine strains were not effective in neutralizing the isolates. No unambiguous association was found between IBV genotypes and serotypes. In summary, a new trend in IBV prevalence has emerged in southern China, and currently available vaccines do not provide protection against the prevalent IBV strains in this region, facilitating the continued spread of IBV.

Case analysis of epilepsy, neurodevelopmental disorder, and motor disorders associated with mutations in the dehydrodolichyl diphosphate synthase gene.

The objective of this study is to analyze the role of dehydrodolichyl diphosphate synthase (DHDDS), a crucial enzyme in the mevalonate pathway, and its encoded mutations in the onset of developmental delay and seizures, with or without movement abnormalities. Its genotype-phenotype characteristics are still inconclusive. We analyzed the clinical characteristics of epilepsy, and neurodevelopmental and motor disorders related to DHDDS gene mutations and report the genotype-phenotype characteristics of a child with epilepsy caused by DHDDS gene mutation, providing a summary and a statistical analysis of epilepsy cases associated with DHDDS gene mutation up until February 2022. METHODS: Using "DHDDS; epilepsy; neurodevelopmental disorder" as the keywords, the literature relevant to DHDDS gene mutations up until February 2022 was reviewed. A total of 25 cases were retrieved, among which 21 cases with complete data were included in the chi-squared test. The clinical characteristics of DHDDS gene-related cases were summarized and analyzed. RESULTS: The onset of epilepsy caused by mutations of the DHDDS gene typically occurs during infancy. Predominantly, the mutation occurs in the locus of c.632G>A p.R211Q. Myoclonus is frequently the initial manifestation of epilepsy; it frequently coexists with neurodevelopmental disorder and intellectual disability, and patients have no specific type of motor disorder. Cranial magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) reveals no abnormalities, whereas electroencephalogram (EEG) frequently exhibits abnormalities. Valproic acid (VPA) yields good curative effects. CONCLUSION: Mutations in the DHDDS gene are associated with congenital glycosylation disorder, autosomal recessive retinitis pigmentosa, and epilepsy. According to statistical analysis using the chi-squared test, for pediatric patients with mutations in this gene locus, most of the epilepsy types are myoclonic epilepsies with intellectual disability and neurodevelopmental disorders. They have normal brain MRIs and abnormal EEGs. VPA produces beneficial therapeutic results and the differences are all statistically significant. The current diagnosis still relies on next-generation sequencing or whole-exome sequencing.

Two Secretory T2 RNases Act as Cytotoxic Factors Contributing to the Virulence of an Insect Fungal Pathogen.

RNase T2 members are secreted by several pathogens or parasites during infection, playing various roles in pathogen-host interaction. However, functions of those members in biocontrol microbes targeting their hosts are still unknown. Here, we report that an insect fungal pathogen, Beauveria bassiana, produces two secretory RNase T2 members that act as cytotoxic factors, which were examined by insect bioassays using the targeted gene(s) disruption and overexpression strains. Overexpression strains displayed dramatically increased virulence, which was concurrent with few fungal cells and hemocytes in hemocoel, suggesting a cytotoxicity of the overexpressed gene products. In vitro assays using yeast-expressed proteins verified the cytotoxicity of the two members against insect cells, to which the cytotoxic effect was dependent on their RNases enzyme activities and glycosylation modification. Moreover, the excessive humoral immune responses triggered by the two ribonucleases were examined. These results suggested prospects of these two T2 ribonucleases for improvement of biocontrol agents.

Newcastle disease virus activates methylation-related enzymes to reprogram m6A methylation in infected cells.

Newcastle disease virus (NDV) is a paramyxovirus with high incidence and transmissibility in birds and is currently being developed for cancer therapy. N6-methyladenosine (m6A) is a common epigenetic modification of RNA. In this study, we aimed to determine whether this modification plays an important role in NDV infection. We found that methylation-related enzymes were activated in NDV-infected cells, and the abundance of m6A notably increased in vivo and in vitro. Further functional experiments showed that m6A methylation negatively regulates NDV infection. Methylated RNA immunoprecipitation sequencing revealed that the m6A-methylated peaks on different functional components of host genes shifted, underwent reprogramming, and were primarily enriched in the coding sequence after NDV infection. The differentially modified genes were mainly enriched in cellular components, as well as autophagy and ubiquitination-mediated proteolysis signaling pathways. Association analysis of RNA sequencing results showed changes in m6A regulated mRNA transcription and revealed that YTHDC1 is a methylation-related enzyme with important catalytic and recognition roles during NDV infection. Additionally, m6A-methylated peaks were detected in the NDV genome, which may be regulated by methylation-related enzymes in the host, subsequently affecting viral replication. Comprehensive analysis of the m6A expression profile after NDV infection indicated that NDV may cause reprogramming of m6A methylation and that m6A plays important roles during infection. Overall, these findings provide insights into the epigenetic etiology and pathogenesis of NDV.

An epidemiological study on skin tumors of the elderly in a community in Shanghai, China.

The morbidity of skin tumors (ST) in China is a great concern as the population ages. No epidemiological survey on ST in elderly communities in China has been reported. A questionnaire survey was conducted among the residents over 60 years old in a community in Shanghai, China from May 1, 2011 to November 30, 2011. The prevalence of cutaneous tumors and associated factors were analyzed. Among 2038 valid cases, a total of 78 (3.8%, 95% CI 3.0-4.7) skin cancers (SC) were confirmed. According to the final multivariate regression analysis, age, gender and previous occupation were the significantly influential factors for SC. Actinic keratosis (AK) accounted for the largest proportion (63, 3.1%) in SC. The head and neck was the physiological site with the highest incidence of SC (64, 82.1%), and AK was the most common (55, 87.3%) in head and neck SC. The common concomitant diseases of SC were hypertension (26, 33.3%) and diabetes mellitus (9, 11.5%). Seborrheic keratosis (SK) was the most common benign skin tumor with a prevalence of 100%. Men and women developed SK in significantly different parts of the body (P < 0.0001). The incidence of ST in the elderly population in Shanghai community increased with age. ST preferred to occur in the head and neck, which might be attributed to excessive ultraviolet (UV) exposure in these areas. Therefore, early diagnosis and sun-protection education are essential interventions for ST in the elderly.

Fus3/Kss1-MAP kinase and Ste12-like control distinct biocontrol-traits besides regulation of insect cuticle penetration via phosphorylation cascade in a filamentous fungal pathogen.

BACKGROUND: Homolog of the yeast Fus3/Kss1 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway and its target transcription factor, Ste12-like, are involved in penetration of host cuticle/pathogenicity in many ascomycete pathogens. However, details of their interaction during fungal infection, as well as their controlled other virulence-associated traits, are unclear. RESULTS: Ste12-like (BbSte12) and Fus3/Kss1 MAPK homolog (Bbmpk1) interacted in nucleus, and phosphorylation of BbSte12 by Bbmpk1 was essential for penetration of insect cuticle in an insect fungal pathogen, Beauveria bassiana. However, some distinct biocontrol-traits were found to be mediated by Ste12 and Bbmpk1. In contrast to ΔBbmpk1 colony that grew more rapid than wild-type strain, inactivation of BbSte12 resulted in the opposite phenotype, which was consistent with their different proliferation rates in insect hemocoel after direct injection of conidia bypass the cuticle. Reduced conidial yield with decreased hydrophobicity was examined in both mutants, however they displayed distinct conidiogenesis, accompanying with differently altered cell cycle, distinct hyphal branching and septum formation. Moreover, ΔBbmpk1 showed increased tolerance to oxidative agent, whereas the opposite phenotype was seen for ΔBbSte12 strain. RNA sequencing analysis revealed that Bbmpk1 controlled 356 genes depending on BbSte12 during cuticle penetration, but 1077 and 584 genes were independently controlled by Bbmpk1 and BbSte12. CONCLUSION: BbSte12 and Bbmpk1 separately participate in additional pathways for control of conidiation, growth and hyphal differentiation, as well as oxidative stress response besides regulating cuticle penetration via phosphorylation cascade. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry.

Gold nanoclusters-manganese dioxide composite-based fluorescence immunoassay for sensitive monitoring of fenitrothion degradation in Chinese cabbage.

Understanding the residues and degradation of organophosphorus pesticides (OPs) in crops has attracted increasing attention. Herein, we designed a sensitive fluorescence immunoassay (FIA) by employing nanobody-linked alkaline phosphatase (Nb-ALP) and gold nanoclusters anchored manganese dioxide (AuNCs-MnO2) composite. In immunoassay protocol, Nb-ALP is used to competitively recognize the coating antigen and pesticide. After competitive immunoreaction, alkaline phosphatase catalyzes l-ascorbic acid-2-phosphate to produce ascorbic acid that can trigger the decomposition of the AuNCs-MnO2 composite, regulating the fluorescence response. As a proof-of-concept, fenitrothion (FNT) is chosen as the target analyte. As a result, the developed FIA exhibits high detection sensitivity (IC10 = 5.78 pg/mL), which is about 56-times higher than that of the conventional enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The developed FIA has been successfully applied for precisely monitoring the degradation of FNT in Chinese cabbage with excellent anti-interference ability and reproducibility, paving the way for the determination of pesticide residues in real food samples.

Inter- and Intra-Population Variation of Foliage Calcium and Magnesium in Two Chinese Pine Species.

Calcium and magnesium are major nutrient elements of plants, and both play an important role in plant growth and development. Pinus massoniana and P. hwangshanensis are important afforestation tree species in barren mountains in China. However, observation and research on calcium and magnesium nutrition of dominant forest species in China are still limited. This study determined the concentration of calcium and magnesium in needles for two species from five sites in East China by inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES). We then explored the inter- and intra-population variation pattern of calcium and magnesium and their relationship with environmental factors. There were significant differences in traits among populations. The strongest factors, which impacted the variation of calcium and magnesium concentration, were elevation and individual differences, respectively. Element concentration was correlated to environmental factors such as longitude, latitude, elevation, and mean annual temperature. The results of this study can be helpful for a better understanding of tree growth, population survival, and forest succession.

High Mass-Loading Biomass-Based Porous Carbon Electrodes for Supercapacitors: Review and Perspectives.

Biomass-based porous carbon (BPC) with renewability and flexible nano/microstructure tunability has attracted increasing attention as efficient and cheap electrode materials for supercapacitors. To meet commercial needs, high mass-loading electrodes with high areal capacitance are preferred when designing supercapacitors. The increased mass percentage of active materials can effectively improve the energy density of supercapacitors. However, as the thickness of the electrode increases, it will face the following challenges including severely blocked ion transport channels, poor charging dynamics, poor electrode structural stability, and complex preparation processes. A bridge between theoretical research and practical applications of BPC electrodes for supercapacitors needs to be established. In this review, the advances of high mass-loading BPC electrodes for supercapacitors are summarized based on different biomass precursors. The key performance evaluation parameters of the high mass-loading electrodes are analyzed, and the performance influencing factors are systematically discussed, including specific surface area, pore structure, electrical conductivity, and surface functional groups. Subsequently, the promising optimization strategies for high mass-loading electrodes are summarized, including the structure regulation of electrode materials and the optimization of other supercapacitor components. Finally, the major challenges and opportunities of high mass-loading BPC electrodes in the future are discussed and outlined.